Football protective harness



Aug. 30, 1927.

H;` GoLDsMlTH ET AL FooTBALL PROTECTIVE HARNESS Filed Ma 2, 1925 Arrow/KL Patented ug. 30, i927.

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FATENT OFFC.

HUGO GOLDSMITH AND WILLIAM A. SONNETT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO' THE P. GOLDSMITI-I SONS COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FOOTBALL PROTECTIVE HARNESS.

Application filed. May 2, 1925., Serial No. 27,592.

Gur invention relates to football protective harness in general and particularly to harness for the protection of the chest and shoulders.

It is the object of our invention to provide for a football player a shoulder and chest protective harness which" will be readily adjustable, which will thoroughly' protect the portions of the shoulder liable to injury and which. will at the. same time permit perfeet freedom of arm movement which is required in the present open style gam-e. Specifically our invention has for its object the construction of football shoulderpad r and chest protector which Vcomprises an raisin@` of the arms.

A further object is to provide elastic fastenings for the portions of the pads which cover the chest and back so that the protector will be firmly held in position fitting the shape of the chest and back.

llVe accomplish these several objects. by that novel construction hereinafter described.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of our foot ball shoulder pads as they would appear adjusted vabout the body of a football player7 with cutaway portion showing the shoulder pad support. Y

Figur-e 2 is a section of the pads shown in Figure 1 talren along the lines 2 2.

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the lines 3-3 in Figure l.

Figure l is a plan view of a method of constructing articulated protecting members to be retained between the front portion and the backing which will permit the form fitting feature. i

Generally indicated at l is shown one side of the chest and back coverincr portions. rlhis is composed of a material such as canvas or leather which may be reinforced with pieces of leather la to which are/stitchedor 'otherwiseA securedthe backing portions 2 which are preferably 'of some soft and fibrous material such as felt, rubber or the like. For the other side of the chest and back a corresponding material piece 3 is provided which will lit the form of the shoulder7 chest and back of the opposite side of the body which. may also be reinforcedwith similar leather pieces as at 2 and backing material l is secured to the material piece 3. In the baclr, in alignment with the central portion of the chest of the wearer on one side is preferably an elastic strip 5 which issecured or taclredfto the back of the pad. A corresponding elastic strap 6 is secured on the opposite side to the baclr portion of the backing or outer piece in a similar manner.

These straps extend. around to the front portions of the harness where they may be secures. as shown, by interlacing in slots cutin the leather. lVe have found that a very satisfactory way of adjustably securing these straps is in accordance with the method '5' illustrated. `In this method the straps are first inserted from the outer face inwardly through a slot 8, then they are brought to the outer side of the leather portions through slots 9. The straps are then drawn along position about the chest, shoulders and baclry 5';

of the wearer the front and back portions of the leather pieces are provided with eyelets ll, and laces l2 may be used to draw the two 1 pieces together snugly about the body. The laces may be tied together in adjusted position or they may be passed .through aquick lacing device, as shown, which will hold the laces in a series of slots in the securing piece 13. Laeing for tying the two pieces together across the back may be used similar to that used in front or the two baclr pieces may be sewed together with a suitable strap.

On each side in the pea-lr of the leather pieces at the top of the shoulder bla-de shoulder cap members 14 are secured to the pieces 1 and 8. 4These members are of roundly molded material such as leather or bre and are so secured to the pieces 1 and` 3 that they are freely movable. The pieces 1 and 3 are extended so vthat When Worn theyavillpass like straps over the top of the shoulders. Shoulder caps 15 lare secured in position on their outer edges overlapping the pieces -`1 and 3 With a strap 16 which will permit free up and down and also freey rotary movement underneath upper cap membersA 14. These underneath protecting` caps 15 are lmade of leather or ibre moldedto the shape of the shoulder and on their underside, pieces of telt or rubber 17 are securely fastened to the caps.

In order to provide adequate protection for the chest and back, articulated stiff members 18 (Figure 4) Which may be ot' any desired stitfsubstanc'e are secured to straps 19 by any suitable means, and these articulated sections are stitched Within the protector between the outer pieces and the backing and when the elastic straps are drawn in will conform to the shape of the wearer.

.Much of the structure hereinbetore described is old in the art but to the best of our knowledge and belief no other adequately protecting shoulder pads have ever been devised Which do not need to be fastened With straps under the arm pits. The elastic side straps Which fasten` the form itting pieces snugly about the chest also are novel constructive features. Further novel features of our construction are shown also in the method of support of the shoulder pads 15 With overlapping shoulder protecting members 14, protecting` the clavicle7 the .positionot the arms.

shoulder blades and the arm sockets against shocks common in tackling in the game of football. The `construction ,also allows the underneath padsl to yield.to any Araised This combination of cap ,members., whichI permits? freedomot shoulderl actionand at the. same time which furnishes complete protection tor the shoulder, claviele,.arm socket, chest and collar bone', is the Amost important novel feature of our Aconstruction taken in combination with the lack of any straps binding under the arms.v

The harnessis light and.easilyadjusted and permits use Witl1coniplete protection and atthe same time allows for agile move* ment. Y

Havingthus described our. invention, what We claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

In combination Withlanathletes protective vest provided With ,means for adjusting the vest along. a front opening therein, auxiliaryadjustments for the ,sides of the vest comprising elastic straps secured at the back of the vest, at least Onestrap lfor ,each side, said straps adapted to pass under a Wearers arms, Withslots onY both sides in the lower front vpart of the vest, and at least one strap on each side inserted Withinthe slots and interlaced therein so that suiiicient Widthwise surfaces of interlaced portions ot the straps will lie .in trictional. engagement to retain the straps in adjusted position,'said straps so arranged that the pulling of the straps through .the slots WillA adjust the vest to the size of the Wearers chest.y HUGO GOLDSMITH. WILLIAM A. SONNETT 

